Ludwig Sonja C, Kapetanopoulos Katharina, Kotrschal Kurt, Wascher Claudia A F
Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, A-4645 Gruenau im Almtal, Austria.
Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, A-4645 Gruenau im Almtal, Austria; Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
Behav Processes. 2017 May;138:134-141. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.03.002. Epub 2017 Mar 6.
The presence of a social partner may significantly contribute to coping with stressful events, whereas dyadic separation generally increases glucocorticoid levels and, thereby, might also affect immune function and health. To study the covariation between social factors, immuno-reactive corticosterone metabolites, haematology and parasite product excretion patterns in a free-living, long-term monogamous bird, we separated pair mates in Greylag geese (Anser anser). We isolated the males of eight pairs for 48h to examine behavioural, adrenocortical, haematological and parasitological responses to mate removal in the female partners, and to social isolation in the males. Females showed no elevated levels of corticosterone metabolites in their droppings, but their haematocrit decreased during mate removal, whereas leucocyte number and heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio remained unchanged. In contrast, the socially isolated males excreted significantly elevated levels of corticosterone metabolites compared to baseline and showed a decrease in haematocrit as well as elevated leucocyte number and H/L ratio. In both sexes, the excretion of coccidian oocysts increased within 48h of the start of the separation, remained high one week after separation, and returned to baseline four weeks later. Described effects were generally more pronounced in males than in females. Our results suggest relatively swift potential health effects of mate loss and social isolation in an unfamiliar confinement in free-living geese.
有社交伙伴的存在可能会显著有助于应对压力事件，而伴侣分离通常会增加糖皮质激素水平，从而也可能影响免疫功能和健康。为了研究自由生活的长期一夫一妻制鸟类中社会因素、免疫反应性皮质酮代谢物、血液学和寄生虫产物排泄模式之间的协变关系，我们将灰雁（Anser anser）的配偶分开。我们将八对配偶中的雄性隔离48小时，以研究雌性配偶去除配偶以及雄性社会隔离后的行为、肾上腺皮质、血液学和寄生虫学反应。雌性粪便中皮质酮代谢物水平没有升高，但在去除配偶期间其血细胞比容下降，而白细胞数量和嗜异性粒细胞/淋巴细胞（H/L）比值保持不变。相比之下，与基线相比，社会隔离的雄性排泄的皮质酮代谢物水平显著升高，血细胞比容降低，白细胞数量和H/L比值升高。在两性中，球虫卵囊的排泄在分离开始后的48小时内增加，分离一周后仍保持高位，四周后恢复到基线水平。所描述的影响通常在雄性中比在雌性中更明显。我们的结果表明，自由生活的鹅在陌生环境中失去配偶和社会隔离对健康可能会有相对迅速的潜在影响。
